CHAPTER XX.

Encampment at Khor Meheteb. — Good Fishing.— The Kelb-el-bahr.— Capture of a Baggar. — A Visit from Basd of Lacatecourah.— Tracking Buffaloes.— Arab Escort sent back to Haikota. — Baboons.— Exciting Night among the Buffaloes.

We selected a lovely spot for our camp, very near the junction of Khor Meheteb with the Settite, on rising ground high above the right bank of the river, affording an extensive view, and backed by a fringe of fine trees, interlaced by a network of parasitic creepers, which gave us the much-wished-for shade ; and at night, when the moon shone, the boxes ranged along the bank in front of the tents presented quite the appearance- of the wall of a terrace. Away from the river, on either bank, the country was wretched, — miserable leafless trees, and patches of dry yellow grass, very short, and having the appearance of sandy mounds.

We remained at this camp from the 5th to the 13th of March, and had better sport there than we had expected to find.

With the fish we were very successful, both with the net and rod ; though we never caught any of phenomenal size, the largest being thirty-five pounds. I have little doubt, however, that they run much higher ; but during neither of my visits to the Settite has it been my fortune to see any larger ones. We had several hauls with the net, one day catching sixty-eight fish, their total weight being 2o6\ pounds, and the largest fish seven pounds. Another day we obtained a hundred and four-J6§